RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19200, 17 June 1924, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE ALL BLACKS. NO SHIRKERS INCLUDED. STATEMENT BY NEW ZEALAND UNION. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Juno 16. Tho Now Zealand Rugby Union has issued tho following statement on tho suggestion that tho evasion of military duty was not taken into account in the selection of tho All Black team: —So far as tho New Zealand Rugby Union is concerned, if it were known that any man actually shirked war service ho would not bo considered a lit representative of the dominion as a footballer. A decision to that effect was made some years ago, am! tho Now Zealand Union as at present constituted has no intention of departing from it. As far as wo are aware (here is no man selected in the present team who comes under this category. Rumours are current, and in fairness to the members of the team who «ro all more or loss brought into disrepute by such rumours, wo feel that the statement should be made. If anybody has any information with regard to any of the players chosen failing to answer tho call ■of their country for war service we shall bo glad to have tho facts brought, before ns. At tho present time the Now Zealand Rugby Union has no information regarding any of tho players that would justify their exclusion from tho team on tho score of failure to render service to their country during tho war period.

OTAGO’S REPRESENTATIVE PRESENTATION TO MR MUNRO, At the conclusion of the meeting of tho Committee of the Otago Rugby Union last evening, tho President (Mr It. H. S. White) presented Mr H, G. Munro, Otago’s only representative in tho All Blacks, with a gold-mounted football, suitably inscribed. In making tho presentation, tho President said the union wished to congratulate the member of tho University team who had been chosen as an All Block to represent New Zealand in England and France. He assured Mr Munro that tho union and every footballer in Otago joined in congratulating him upon his selection ns one of the 29 players. . Ho felt quite sure that ■' the selectors bad made a wise i choice in Mr Mimro. They had followed his career. si)d they had always found that he played the game with credit and in a fine spirit, ’they knew he would uphold the honour of Dtago and Now Zealand on the field in England, and his conduct, had always been such that he had been a credit to his team ana to himself. On behalf of the Rugby Union he asked Mr Munro to accept the little memento, with the best wishes of the union, and they hoped ho would wear it lr ensure it. Mr (i, Harris said they were very pleased to know that Mr Munro had been selected as an All Black, and he was satisfied that Juj would uphold the honour of footballo.nd of Otago, on and off the field. He hoped he would have a pleasant trip and k. Ihat he would help the team to put up a "6od record. He would say that the 1924 team was a better forward one than that of 1905 team, but they had a harder proposition, and they had to watch themselves. Mr A, M‘Donald, a former All Black representative, wished Mr Munro every luck, and said he felt sure that their representative would do his best. He was a forward who played the same game all the time, and he (the speaker) had never seen him play a’■ bad game. ,Mr D. Stuart, said New Zealand, and Otago in particular, was fortunate in having Mr Munro to represent Otago. He wished Mr Munro the best of luck, and expressed the hone that he would bo chosen to play in the international games in England. Other speakers endorsed the previous re- : marks, after which the health of Otago’s 1 representative was drunk, Mr Munro, in reply, thanked tho speakers for what they had said, and assured them that he would do his best. He had always plaved tho game for the game’s sake, and had tried to go as far up the ladder as possible. The test matches had been strenuous, and it had been a case of the survival of the fittest. Ho thought the selectors had done their work well. and. realising what Otago and New Zealand had entrusted him with, he would do his bit.— (Applause.)